Sec. 603. OPTICS AND PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS

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## SEC. 603 OPTICS AND PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS ###

(a)Findings Congress makes the following findings: ####

(1)The 1998 National Research Council Report, “Harnessing Light” presented a comprehensive overview on the importance of optics and photonics to various sectors of the United States economy. ####

(2)In 2012, in response to increased coordination and investment by other nations, the National Research Council released a follow up study recommending a national photonics initiative to increase collaboration and coordination among United States industry, Federal and State government, and academia to identify and further advance areas of photonics critical to regaining United States competitiveness and maintaining national security. ####

(3)Publicly-traded companies focused on optics and photonics in the United States enable more than $3 trillion in revenue annually. ###

(b)Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— ####

(1)optics and photonics research and technologies promote United States global competitiveness in industry sectors, including telecommunications and information technology, energy, healthcare and medicine, manufacturing, and defense; ####

(2)Federal science agencies, industry, and academia should seek partnerships with each other to develop basic research in optics and photonics into more mature technologies and capabilities; and ####

(3)each Federal science agency, as appropriate, should— #####

(A)survey and identify optics and photonics-related programs within that Federal science agency and share results with other Federal science agencies for the purpose of generating multiple applications and uses; #####

(B)partner with the private sector and academia to leverage knowledge and resources to maximize opportunities for innovation in optics and photonics; #####

(C)explore research and development opportunities, including Federal and private sector-sponsored internships, to ensure a highly trained optics and photonics workforce in the United States; #####

(D)encourage partnerships between academia and industry to promote improvement in the education of optics and photonics technicians at the secondary school level, undergraduate level, and 2-year college level, including through the Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education program; and #####

(E)assess existing programs and explore alternatives to modernize photonics laboratory equipment in undergraduate institutions in the United States to facilitate critical hands-on learning.